Alternative Dispute Resolution

Moreover, for companies with business activities outside the United States, resorting to ADR rather than foreign legal systems can help ensure a more predictable method for resolving conflicts and obtaining enforceable awards.

Jones Walker's ADR Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who are well-versed in the resolution of disputes through ADR, both as client advocates and as third-party neutrals in mediation, arbitration, other dispute resolution processes. Our familiarity with national and international ADR organizations and rules, coupled with our deep, industry-specific knowledge and our commitment to help clients control legal-services costs, enables us to provide clients with creative, effective solutions for resolving business disputes at home and abroad.

Experience Matters: Top-Ranked Negotiators and Litigators

The Jones Walker ADR team includes professionals who have been recognized for their skills by a variety of organizations, including Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America^®, Super Lawyers, U.S. News & World Report, and International Who's Who. The group includes qualified arbitrators and mediators, who are members of CPR, LCIA, ICC, the AAA's National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators, and are also included on the AAA's approved list of arbitrators. Our attorneys also serve as Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrators, are members of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, and have other experience in resolving and settling disputes outside of the courts. Several of our attorneys have served on numerous committees in multidistrict litigation (MDL), or have been appointed by federal judges as special masters overseeing MDL cases.

With our broad-based experience, we are able to advise and counsel clients on the complete ADR process, from the drafting of ADR clauses, selection of neutrals, as well as handling arbitration as litigators and serving as arbitrators.  We understand what is required to develop and deliver a compelling case appropriate to the forum and the process. Most importantly, our team also understands the important differences between litigation and arbitration, and the means and methods for preserving the speed and cost advantages of arbitration over litigation.

We have successfully represented clients in proceedings under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association, the AAA International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the International Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Arbitration Rules, and the International Bar Association Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Commercial Arbitration.  In addition, our team has experience with a variety of other ADR vehicles, including dispute review boards, mediation, mini-trials, summary jury trials, and structured negotiations.

Recent engagements include arbitrations conducted in France, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United States involving business interests in Central America, Middle East, Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. Our lawyers also regularly provide clients with second opinions regarding liability, quantum and case strategy.

Industry-Focused Teams

Jones Walker has demonstrated strength in a number of industries that play a key role in the economy of the southeastern United States. Our lawyers have developed a particular focus on the energy, oil and gas, maritime, insurance, construction, manufacturing, and banking and financial sectors, all of which have increasingly turned to ADR as a means of resolving cross-border and other complex disputes quickly and efficiently.

Our energy clients include domestic and international oil and gas exploration and service companies, power generation, renewable fuels and alternative energy companies. We have represented chemicals, mining, aviation, automotive, construction and other manufacturing enterprises whose products range from consumer goods to heavy machinery. Our maritime clients include shipowners; operators; charterers; towboats and barge lines; terminals; shipyards; cargo owners; blue water shipping interests; and oil and gas service companies, operators and underwriters.  We advise insurance companies whose products include virtually every form of coverage available, and have represented banks, bank holding companies and other financial services businesses in a range of commercial disputes.

Value: The Sum of Efficiency and Results 

We strive to resolve our client's business disputes in a manner that achieves their objectives. We understand that one such goal is to control overall legal expenses without sacrificing results. Jones Walker takes an innovative approach to alternative fee arrangements that is often well suited for arbitration portfolios. We work closely with clients to determine desired outcomes, negotiate fee structures that align the objectives of both parties, and provide ongoing accountability and communications that help ensure that we are meeting agreed-upon budget requirements.